2001 Montana Legislature

About Bill -- Links

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 2

INTRODUCED BY E. BUTCHER, BECK, BERRY, COBB, COLE, CRISMORE, DEPRATU, EKEGREN, ELLIS, GLASER, GRIMES, GROSFIELD, R. HOLDEN, KEENAN, KITZENBERG, MCNUTT, K. MILLER, O'NEIL, SPRAGUE, STAPLETON, TASH, TAYLOR, TESTER, F. THOMAS, J. WELLS, ZOOK

Montana State Seal

A RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA OPPOSING ANY NEW DESIGNATION FOR THE MISSOURI RIVER OR THE MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS.



     WHEREAS, surveys indicate that a majority of Montanans oppose a new designation for the Missouri River or the Missouri River Breaks; and

     WHEREAS, the Missouri River and the Missouri River Breaks are protected by the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Montana subdivision law, and county development regulations; and

     WHEREAS, expanding the designation will incorporate more private and state land holdings under federal management plans; and

     WHEREAS, Article IV, section 3, of the Constitution of the United States gives authority over public lands to Congress; and

     WHEREAS, the vast number of acres being considered for designation as a monument does not meet guidelines of the intent of the federal enabling legislation for monument designations, the Antiquities Act of 1906, which states that the President of the United States is authorized to declare national monuments and "may reserve as a part thereof parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected"; and

     WHEREAS, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt has violated the pledge that he made during his preliminary trip to Montana in the summer of 2000 to return for further analysis and input prior to any recommendations for a change in designation for this area; and

     WHEREAS, the Clinton administration has made an "11th hour" rush to create a legacy in land policy without due diligence in properly analyzing the negative impacts on local and state governmental divisions as well as on state and local inhabitants; and

     WHEREAS, existing and valid grazing rights need to be recognized and enforced; and

     WHEREAS, existing and valid oil and gas rights need to be enforced; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks needs to continue to manage fish and game issues pertaining to the Missouri River.



NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

     That the Senate of the State of Montana respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Bruce Babbitt, set aside any new proposed designation for the Missouri River or the Missouri River Breaks and support the proved management practices that have maintained the pristine conditions of the Missouri River and the Missouri River Breaks since first traversed by the Corps of Discovery in 1804.

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State send copies of this resolution to the Secretary of the Interior, the Montana Congressional Delegation, President William Clinton, President Elect George W. Bush, and the members of the Central Montana Resource Advisory Council.

- END -




Latest Version of SR 2 (SR0002.ENR)
Processed for the Web on January 30, 2001 (4:17PM)

New language in a bill appears underlined, deleted material appears stricken.

Sponsor names are handwritten on introduced bills, hence do not appear on the bill until it is reprinted. See the status of this bill for the bill's primary sponsor.

Status of this Bill | 2001 Legislature | Leg. Branch Home
All versions of this bill (PDF Format)
Authorized print version w/line numbers (PDF format)

Prepared by Montana Legislative Services

(406)444-3064